[ncalfamilyguy]

I have kind of a specific question, In the US, wastewater, (sewer) treatment is a big industry. Any one know anything about treatment plants in NZ? Government run?
Salary?
Home owner sewer fees?
Quality of local rivers and bay waters?
Job opportunities?

[JandM]

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=NZ+wastewater+treatment&spell=1

There was plenty I didn't know here, but it may not be specific enough for you. I expect some of the already-resident people will know something to help you.

[Oregonkiwi]

some info relevant to Auckland:

wastewater treatment:
http://www.metrowater.co.nz/

charges:
http://www.metrowater.co.nz/yourbill/residential_charges.aspx

water quality at beaches:
http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/council/documents/safeswim/default.asp
http://www.waitakere.govt.nz/cnlser/pbr/beaches/waterquality.asp

Hope that helps.

[DMcG]

Kiwis in general tend to take environmental issues a lot more seriously than they did in the UK. Recycling is years ahead of the UK and there's a much better overall awareness of environmental issues.

Saying that, I expect there's a corresponding demand for people in the waste management (if that's what you call it) industry.

I went to Seek (http://www.seek.co.nz) and types in "water treatment" and got 49 jobs pop up :) .

In NZ, all water is metered, so you pay for your fresh water directly - and for the amount of grey water you dispose off.

Dougie

[IanW99]

...
In NZ, all water is metered, so you pay for your fresh water directly - and for the amount of grey water you dispose off.

Dougie

Not sure what you mean by this?

If you mean that water supply to all houses are metered, then this isn't correct i.e. our water supply isn't metered in Wellington. You can ask for it to be metered but most houses in this area don't seem to be?

Ian

[DMcG]

Interesting.
I assumed it was a general case, since every house I've stayed in in Auckland has had metered water.

Dougie

[Derv]

Water may be metered in Auckland but we have never had a water meter in the various places we've lived around NZ. I think it proves - yet again - that there's a vast difference between life in Auckland and life in the rest of NZ.

I disagree about recycling comparisons with the UK. The village we lived in in the UK had better recycling facilities than the town we live in on the Mainland - however our local council has plans to improve it so that's excellent news.

[Kiwi-In-Texas]

Water is metered in Auckland, but not in other cities in New Zealand as far as I am aware.

[whiskythedog]

www.watercare.co.nz (check out their annual report)
they own the dams and reservoirs and supply the water to the auckland region (1.3m people) as a wholesaler to water retailer companies (eg metrowater)
they also treat the waste water (residential and industrial) utilising methane gas emissions as a power source to mitigate overall electricity costs
all of the water companies are essentially owned by the auckland city councils
(note wholesale cost of clean water to retailer is 45cents per 1000litres)

[ncalfamilyguy]

Thanks for the responses! The links helped a ton, exactly what I was looking for. Gave you all some rep. points.

[wiki]

In NZ, all water is metered, so you pay for your fresh water directly - and for the amount of grey water you dispose off.

Dougie

No water metering in Southland either - we have too much of the stuff :D

It's been metered in Auckland since early 1990s (although it might have been later because there was a big long water shortage crisis sometime in mid 90s)

However, I think read something somewhere that Kapiti Coast district council was considering water meters too, but someone up there might no if this is on the cards still, or has already happened.

Our recycling in Invercargill is much much better and comprehensive than in East Yorks.

[IanW99]

Came across this fact today (from Wellington govt site), seem relevant to this thread.

Most Wellington residential property owners pay for their water through their rates (a charge of $112.50 [including GST] plus a rate per dollar of capital value) and have faced a similar level of increase since 2004/05. Only 691 residential properties have water meters.

Ian

[incredible hulse]

However, I think read something somewhere that Kapiti Coast district council was considering water meters too, but someone up there might no if this is on the cards still, or has already happened.

Yes they are. They are struggling to pay the council executives their 200k a year salaries (+50k car) so have to think of new ways to screw the ratepayers for little or no public services :mad: